


Painting || VII || Albus

by fictivefodder



Series: Painting [7]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Knives, Non-Graphic Violence, Other, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:21:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29244246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictivefodder/pseuds/fictivefodder
Summary: The first time you came to Hogwarts you were 18, freshly graduated from a different school, and about to start a 6 month long artist residency. Not only did you learn how to paint portraits that move, but you also became close friends with the marauders. You would have never guessed that 15 years later you’d return to Hogwarts, commissioned to paint each faculty member’s portrait, and be reunited with Remus Lupin as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.To subscribe for updates, see mood boards for the story, or to say hi to me follow me atmy tumblr!: )
Relationships: Remus Lupin & Reader, Remus Lupin & You, Remus Lupin/Reader, Remus Lupin/You
Series: Painting [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808620
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	Painting || VII || Albus

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! We're finally making it towards the end of the Prisoner of Azkaban book! I have my childhood copy on my desk as I am needing to refer to it more specifically as we go on. Every single time I'm about to post a new chapter I get so worried that this will be the one you all are disappointed in, and it only gets worse! AAH. 
> 
> Nevertheless, I do hope you enjoy it and I do hope someone is finding the secret links I mentioned in my last notes? Anyone? 
> 
> Trans women are women. Though many people love the world of Harry Potter, J K Rowling has been making problematic statements for a long time and I am glad to see people taking her most recent ignorance seriously, as the gross, transphobic, hate speech that it is.  
> There is so much beloved content that contains problematic, dangerous or inappropriate elements. Or, the author sucks. If we don’t learn to accept the good content while learning to acknowledge, highlight, and stand against the problematic content, we are throwing away most of the creative stories in our world. And that’s a shame, I’d rather we reclaim it and make it better. So even though this is Harry Potter fan fiction, I stand up for trans people and specifically trans women. Any trans folks and gender queer folks who are here, reading, as I ramble on- Hi. You are welcome here. Thanks for giving me your time. <3

_You were completely and totally occupied by the sensation of breathing. Your heart beat strongly against your temple as you looked around your childhood home, waiting to hear some kind of sound. The whistle of the tea kettle, a creaking door, but it didn't come. The quiet was persistent and seemed to grow with every breath you took. Was something wrong?_

_Your limbs trembled, your vision narrowed, as panic sharpened the sensation of soundlessness and emptiness that surrounded you. You took a small, withering step forward and flinched as the floorboard groaned beneath you._

_It felt as if something had just happened before you arrived. Your instinct fought against taking another step, urging you to look away, to hide, to go back._

_Perhaps it’s better to not know, you thought idly, it’s better to let yourself realize slowly._

_But there wasn't anything to realize, you reasoned with yourself. Maybe they were just asleep?_

_Had you even called out to your family yet? With a trembling voice, you said hello to the empty room._

_There was no answer to your call._

_It was pristine. The dials on the television had some dust on them, the telephone cord was tangled, as always. Everything looked as it should except for the fact that it was all very wrong._

_Your panic gave way to frustration. This could not be happening to you. Your family were muggles, they had nothing to offer Death Eaters, it didn't make sense._

_It didn't make sense, you were being stupid. You were being silly and anxious. They'd be watching television upstairs, or making toast in the kitchen. Maybe they were just asleep._

_Someone stepped out from the next room. The act in itself was so overwhelming that your mind made them appear larger than life, as loud as if they were right beside you. You felt your whole body cringe as if to scream, but you couldn't make a sound. Your breath caught in your throat as you watched the stranger turn in your direction. Everything seemed to slow to an impossible pace. His eyes fell upon you, your mind dilated his gaze to great, pale orbs, shining at you as you stepped back._

_In one gloved hand he held a badge from the Ministry of Magic's Department of Mysteries. In the other, his wand, which caught the light blindingly as he turned to point it at you._

_Your hand gripped your wand tightly, with an instinctive lurch and a rush of air, you were not there anymore._

_You apperated, falling to your knees as James and Lily's home filled your surroundings. With a dry sob, you lifted your hands to cover your mouth, flinching as Lily ran over to you._

You woke up with tears on your face. Calmly, you wiped them away, staring up at the ceiling. Your bedroom was dimly visible in the hazy glow that came before sunrise. You focused on listening to the sound of your breath, rather than the memory of your own voice. _They are gone, they are gone, they are gone._ Inhale, 4,3,2,1, exhale, 4,3,2,1. _He saw my face, he saw me see._

Inhale, 4,3,2,1.

Soberly you sat up, allowing your memories to ring and fade in your mind as you stretched. They would come to pass, you reminded yourself, they always did. _My family is gone,_ you had sobbed into Lily's shoulder as she held you tightly.

"Missing" wasn't a descriptor, it was a lick of torture. You had to respond to situations that didn't feel certain. You had to grieve, had to forgive, and had to make peace without prompts. There was every temptation to wonder, to hope against years of impotency.

 _We need to get you to safety,_ James said, pulling you away from Lily. She flashed a look of anger towards James, but did not protest. _You will be okay,_ she affirmed, voice unwavering, _You will be safe._

_In a flash you were somewhere else, somewhere you did not recognize. You could hear people on the other side of the wall, but they never seemed to hear you._

You dressed in nicer robes than usual, pinning a freshly cleaned painting smock to it. Against the side of your wall Remus's portrait watched you curiously.

"What's the matter?" His painting asked softly. You sighed, glancing over to it.

"Bad dream." You answered impatiently.

You made your way towards the gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office, unable to pull your thoughts away. Even though you had been so grateful, that room had been terrible. Windowless, no doors to the outside world, completely alone. The days that you spent in there had felt like weeks. Your only relief was a letter that had somehow managed to arrive. You could still recite it from memory.

_Painter,_

_In case this gets intercepted I cannot use names, but I needed to risk getting a letter to you for the sake of telling you how sorry I am. Prongs has told me of your circumstances._

_It is thanks to you that we know Rookwood is a Death Eater. This also means much more of the ministry is compromised than we thought. One of us will be there in the next few days to bring you somewhere safe._

_All my love,_  
_Padfoot_

Looking up into the gargoyle's face you smiled bitterly. Were you ever going to be able to go through a day of your life without thinking about Sirius Black? Even in Hogsmeade, you had caught yourself wondering- Did he know it was the New Year? Was he cold? Did he wonder about Remus?

You did your best to push these thoughts away, all your curiosity did was perpetuate some strange hope you retained that none of it was real, even as you were ashamed of yourself for hoping.

"Pavlova." You sighed, watching the gargoyle spring to life and step aside from the staircase it guarded. You reflexively nodded to it in thanks before making your way up the stairs to see Dumbledore.

The wonder of the headmaster's office was muted by your subdued mood. You smiled to Albus, who was standing near his desk, running one of his long fingers gently down his phoenix's beak. The phoenix cooed happily as he did so.

"Good morning!" Albus greeted, glancing at you over his shoulder.

"Good morning, Headmaster." You greeted, quietly placing your materials on the floor beside you.

With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore conjured a cup of tea on the side of his desk nearest you. He gestured for you to sit as he conjured himself a tea and sat down. Behind him, tiny magical contraptions whirred and spun catching the morning light as they moved. There was a healthy fire cracking under the Phoenix's perch and many portraits of past headmasters all sleeping soundly.You wrapped your hands around the tea cup, relaxing as the scent of cardamom and cream filled your senses.

You felt exhausted at the idea of exchanging pleasantries while in such a foul mood, even as you admonished yourself for considering acting less than your most professional. Even to painters far more esteemed than yourself, painting Albus Dumbledore's portrait would be a high honor.

"The Fat Lady was kind enough to stop by," Dumbledore began, peering over his half moon spectacles at you. "She said she is very satisfied with your repair so far."

"She is remarkable." You replied, sipping your tea. "Though I wish I was getting to know her over better circumstances."

The silence that followed your statement was vast but you hardly noticed, still so distracted by the memories your dream invoked. Dumbledore didn't seem uncomfortable, accepting your quiet mood with a level of grace you were relieved by.

As you balanced the canvas on your lap, the phoenix cooed, gliding from its perch to land on Dumbledore's desk, it rested in the crook of his arm. "I suppose Fawkes would like to be included in my portrait." Dumbledore chuckled, stroking Fawkes' wing.

"I think that is an excellent idea." You said more to Fawkes than to Albus. It was a relief to focus on art after such a rough start to the morning. As with the rest of the headmasters, Dumbledore's portrait would be painted at his desk, but you were eager to see how his portrait might differ from the rest. In the long line of Headmasters, it was only a few portraits back that marked a time when many pigments were not readily available, or invented. For so many headmaster portraits, the colors were limited to earth tones, and chromatic blacks- any vibrancy in them was a skilled trick of light.

The last portrait, capturing the likeness of Armando Dippet, had been painted twenty years ago in the early 60's. Though Dippet's portrait was just as respectable as the lot of them, it did have a greater sense of modernity. The lighting was bolder, the colors more vibrant and it was overall more theatrical than the rest.

Two headmasters ago, Brutus Scrimgeour's portrait was painted in the height of impressionism, which you could have guessed by the vibrant color that made up the background- Red Lake, a pigment that didn't survive past that era. It was enchanting to look at Scrimgeour's portrait, knowing you would never be able to use that pigment yourself.

"I remember accepting your residency proposal." Albus started, watching you draw. "I was very happy to see someone with interest in the trade... and I am very glad to see you still practicing it."

"Oh, thank you." You replied, feeling yourself blush self consciously. "I suppose I could say, in the same vein, that I am happy to see how you have maintained Hogwarts, it feels the same as when I first came so many years ago."

You wanted to lay in some base color. Eagerly, you began to put paint onto your palette- King's Blue, Raw Umber, Titanium White. You had prepped Albus' canvas with several layers of gesso mixed with powdered marble, sanded down and applied again so that the pigments would shine brightly.

"So many years-" Albus repeated in a teasing tone. "Time is amusing that way. It eludes all metrics, all senses... indeed, one who claims to have a decent understanding of time is in total delusion."

Smiling, you scoffed lightly and glanced up to Albus. "Are you saying that I'm wrong, that Hogwarts is very different than how it was?"

"No! Perish the thought." Dumbledore quickly answered, waving a hand. His rings caught the light brilliantly, and you noticed how intricately embroidered the sleeves of his robes were. "For many, Hogwarts' worth isn't as a school but as a fixed point. We both know a good number of people that utilize it in this way- whether as a refuge, a homecoming, a time capsule."

You could feel Dumbledore's eyes on you as you continued to mix paint. In your mind, the painting was slowly coming together. Red versus blue, the Alizarin Crimson of Fawkes nestled against Albus' silvery midnight tones. You could unite the two by adding a little cadmium red to Albus' highlights and a little cerulean blue to Fawkes'.

_You didn't let go of Sirius letter from the moment it arrived until the moment you left that strange room. You had been trying to sleep when you heard the sound of someone apparating. Adrenaline filled you as you jumped up, Sirius's letter in one hand, your wand in the other. Your best guess was that it has been four days since you had apparated into James and Lily's home. You were still wearing the same clothes, as you hadn't had anything else._

_It was Remus._

_You felt yourself go limp with relief at the sight of him. "Remus-" You breathed, taking a step closer. At first, Remus' expression mirrored yours, but as you stepped close he rose his wand towards you._

_"What creature unlocked your door at Hogwarts?" He asked, voice low._

_"What?" You drew back, eyes wide._

_"Answer me!" Remus hissed, tightening his grip on his wand._

_"Um- A, a rabbit? A little jack rabbit on the ring?" Your voice shook. It had been 6 months since you had last seen him but what startled you more was having never seen Remus look so intense. You had never before noticed how easily he could fill a room when utilizing his full height, how much space he could control._

_Remus lowered his wand with a relieved sigh. He closed the distance between the two of you and pulled you in to a tight embrace. Your mind was a mix of relief and despair, so grateful for the comfort while constantly being reminded of what had happened._

_"Where are we going?" You asked, looking up at him._

_Remus's face softened momentarily. You felt his hand come up to hold your jaw. He looked into your eyes, frowning slightly, before his gaze fell to the letter in your hand. "What is that?"_

_"Sirius wrote me." You replied, gripping the letter tighter. "To let me know that I should expect someone soon."_

_"Sirius?" Remus repeated, his voice hardening. He looked as if he was about to ask something more, but thought better of it and turned to the wall behind him. "Alice, Frank!" He called out, tapping his wand on the wall. "We're ready."_

_At the tap of Remus' wand, an archway appeared, opening the wall up to the living space you had heard around you the last four days. A man and a woman were on the other side, looking at you with a mix of sternness and sympathy._

_"C'mon then-" Alice said, gesturing over to her fire place. Frank was grabbing a bag of floo powder._

_Bewildered, you obliged. "Where-?" You asked again, voice shaking._

_"Don't worry." Remus assured, "Peter is going to take you in for now. Alice is going to make sure you get there."_

_You turned back to Remus, eyes stinging. "You're not coming?"_

_You noticed that while Remus' expression was stoic, his chest was noticeably rising and falling with his breaths. "No." He started. There was a pause, in which Remus glanced at Alice and Frank while he thought of how to explain. It seemed as if it was becoming harder for Remus to look you in the eyes._

_"What Remus means is that we're all doing our best to keep sensitive information known to as few as possible." Frank said in a gentle tone from near the fireplace. Alice nodded encouragingly. "For example, we knew we were protecting someone in that secret room, but we don't know how to access it."_

_"And I do not know where Peter is, but Alice and Frank do." Remus continued, fighting a tone of guilt in his voice._

_You opened your mouth to say something, but before you could Remus gave Alice and Frank a nod and with a sharp popping sound, had disapperated._

"Headmaster?" You started suddenly, bringing Dumbledore out of his thoughts. "I was thinking about the Fat Lady-"

"Were you?" He asked, fascinated.

"You see we got to talking when last I showed her how the repairs were going. And I was curious if you believed Sirius Black might ever try to access the Gryffindor Common Room again? Because I know a few protective spells for paintings, charms that could make it difficult to touch her, that sort of thing?"

Dumbledore smiled, one of his hands coming to stroke his chin. "That is very thoughtful of you." He said, nodding. "I do not know Sirius Black's mind, but I would imagine that he will try once again, as perilous as it will be."

You bit your lip, debating how freely you could speak. "She told me that, um..." Dumbledore nodded, encouraging you to continue, "...she told me that he had apologized, that he seemed strange."

"Yes." Dumbledore confirmed patiently.

"Well-" You started, frowning.

"Well? Well, that doesn't align with your memory of Sirius?"

"No it's not that-"

"Because it does align with your memory of Sirius?"

-X-

"Alright." James said with triumphant bravado. He was behind you, covering your eyes with his hands. "Are you ready?"

"Common Prongs!" Sirius called impatiently. "I'm sure we've all seen a town like Hogsmeade before! Just get on with it!"

"There is no other town like Hogsmeade!" James retorted, pouting. You chuckled, trying not to move too much and bump your face against his hands. "Alright!" James repeated, removing his hands, your eyes opened to a cellar full of candy branded boxes.

"Oh?" You blinked several times, eyes adjusting to the dim light. "Okay, so the town of Hogsmeade is a cellar?" Your teasing won a large, sharp smile from Sirius and an exasperated groan from James.

By the time you, Sirius, Lily, James, Peter and Remus had sneaked out of Honeydukes' cellar and into the main street James had already explained everywhere there was to go. You had become particularly enthusiastic at the sound of a tea shop called Madam Puddifoot's, which made James, Remus, and Sirius all wince.

"What?" You demanded, as they all shrinked away from you at your enthusiasm.

"No, it's not bad." Remus tried to assure.

"If it's not bad, it's awful." Sirius retorted flatly.

You laughed, shrugging. "Well I love a tea! And if I have to go on my own so be it." You folded your arms, enjoying the looks of indecisive misery on Remus, James and Sirius' faces.

"I'll go with you!" Peter said brightly, but shakily.

"Peter will go with me!" You called to the three boys, who were now looking extremely self conscious.

"Ooh I love the biscuits there!" Lily chimed in, walking over to your side.

"Mmmmhm." You hummed happily, smiling to Lily and Peter as they grouped on either side of you. "This looks like a fine day to me. Let's go!"

The three of you set off up the street towards Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, as Lily told you and Peter about the various specials offered there. Only moments later, you could hear 3 familiar voices behind you, grumbling.

"Look at him- he thinks he can just go with them? Just go? Just leave us?"

"I feel abandoned. Betrayed."

"We can't allow this, lads. You know what will happen? They think they can go to this place and have fun but because we're not there it will all go to hell."

"Things usually go to hell because we are there, Prongs."

"Mooney, you are as observant as you are beautiful."

"And?"

"And, Padfoot, in this particular case, if things do happen to go to hell, we win! Don't we?"

There was a small line queuing out front of the tea shop, with a stout black haired woman taking in guests. You noticed that every group of visitors was no greater than a group of two.

"Welcome!" The woman called to your group as you approached the front of the line. She looked over your shoulder and also addressed the group behind you. "Welcome to Madam Puddifoot's! How many couples do we have here?"

Peter looked as if he was about to speak when Sirius walked up from behind and wrapped Peter in his arms.

"We are!" Sirius called out in his silkiest tone. Peter blushed brighter than you thought humanly possible as Puddifoot ushered them in together.

Puddifoot's eyes then fell to Lily, who she seemed to recognize. "Oh hello my girl!" She reached over, grabbing Lily's hand and pulled her closer. "This must be the young man you've told me so much about!" Puddifoot exclaimed as she also dragged James over by the hand and sent them inside together.

With a jolt of surprise you watched as Remus stepped to your side and tenderly took your hand in his. Your eyes widened as he flashed you a grin more malicious than you thought possible, and called to Madam Puddifoot for a table.

You were quickly whisked away to a small table in one corner of the shop that only had two chairs. As you sat down and took in the interior, you realized that every table only had two chairs each. You also noticed that every surface was either covered in pink velvet or lace, or both. Across the table from you Remus was trying not to laugh behind his menu.

You granted Remus a tight lipped smile as victory shined in his eyes. You did your best to look stern. "I don't know what you're laughing about." You warned, raising your eyebrows at Remus. "I still got to go to Madam Puddifoots, I'm still going to get myself some nice tea. Now I just have more of my friends here with me. It's a win win situation."

"Oh Sirius, James, and I have been out maneuvered by your enthusiasm." Remus assured, reaching across the table to hold your hand once again. "Absolutely."

You felt your face heat up as Remus, looking more earnest than ever, traced his thumb over your knuckles and made intense eye contact with you. Panicking, you glanced over to the table Sirius and Peter were at and watched in quiet horror Sirius propped his legs up on Peter's lap. The only scene that offered you any satisfaction was James and Lily, since Lily did seem genuinely happy to be there which caused James to struggle to committing to the joke. Every other occupied table was full of couples ignoring their tea and kissing instead. You held back a sigh as you returned to looking at Remus.

"We should come back for Valentine's day next year." Remus cooed, "They have little golden cupids that throw confetti into your face when you stop kissing long enough to breathe."

You considered his suggestion, shrugging nonchalantly as you replied, "Seems like you know a lot about this place despite your aversions to it."

A glint of excitement and interest grew in Remus' expression at your response. "Nothing like that." He chuckled, smiling more genuinely. "I just happen to spend a lot of time in Hogsmeade and there is only so long you can go before picking up bits of information about any of the shops. That's all."

"That's all there is to that." You agreed, squinting at him in mock suspicion.

"For example," Remus continued, "You can find many Hogwarts professors enjoying the offerings of the 3 Broomsticks of an evening. The Hog's Head Tavern is less family friendly. And this establishment is mainly used to traumatize first dates."

"Interesting then," You remark, squeezing his hand a little. "that you don't seem very traumatized?"

"That would be because I am un-date-able." Remus answered as he glanced down at your hand. "But for the sake of this afternoon we can pretend that I am."

"Have you decided what you would like?" Madam Puddifoot interrupted, looking at the two of you expectantly.

"I think so!" Remus smiled, "I will take a hot chocolate for myself, and for you, love?"

You blanched, flustered. "The Earl Grey, please."

Madam Puddifoot took down your order and with a flick of her wand, sent it off to the kitchen.

"So for this evening, you are not un-date-able, hm?" You murmured as Puddifoot walked away.

"I am sorry to have placed such a burden on you."

"It's quite a burden." You nod severely. "This is the only date you'll ever have and it falls on me to inform your impression."

Your orders arrived then, pushed on a trolley that squeaked as it wheeled itself over. Remus carefully lifted your teapot and his onto the table, opening the lid of yours and looking inside as the trolley pushed itself away.

"Something wrong with it?" You asked, tilting your head.

"Do you want me to ask for some maple syrup?"

By the time you were all walking back towards Hogwarts, the sky was bright with stars. Hogsmeade had been as fun as James had promised it to be, Puddifoot's and all. You had assumed Remus' mock flirtation would end once the two of you had finished your drinks, but all the way through Hogsmeade and to the Gardener's Cottage he walked closer to you than normal, though he kept his hands to himself.

The six of you ended up at the Gardener's Cottage, sitting near the wood burning stove, trying out all the candies purchased from Honeydukes and sharing Butterbeer.

-X-

"God I'm exhausted." You yawned, falling onto the side of Remus' bed. He smiled over at you as he untied his shoes.

"It was quite the match- I'm sure they will be celebrating in Gryffindor all night."

You chuckled at the thought. "Poor McGonagall." You sympathized, crawling under the sheets. "And that Firebolt? I can't believe how fast Harry is on it... he must have been ecstatic

Remus got under the sheets on the other side of the bed, massaging his brow as he considered your words. "There was nothing to be done... we couldn't keep it from him. We all tried to charm it, break any curses, anything we could think of."

"...You'd tell me if you had sent it, wouldn't you?" You asked, smiling into your pillow a little. Remus leveled you with a flat glare. "What!" You exclaimed, grinning. "I know you're very professional and his teacher and everything but I could see you being persuaded by your inner cool uncle..."

"Cool uncle?" Remus laughed. He dismissed your teasing with a wave of his hand, extinguishing the remaining light. You felt Remus's arms wrap around you as had become usual while falling asleep.

"Also," You mumbled, "That patronus was incredible... I hope you're proud of him, and yourself." Remus replied by pushing his forehead against your neck, his breaths becoming soft and slow as sleep overtook you both.

You started with a jump as someone banged their fist on the other side of Lupin's door. Remus shot up, already unlocking the door with wand in hand.

"It's Black." Came McGonagall's distressed voice from the other side of the door. With a nod, Remus grabbed his overcoat while you jumped out of bed.

You repeated what you had learned from the Hogwarts staff in your mind over and over, as you and Remus went through every corridor you had once explored with Sirius. "I rolled over and I saw him standing over me... like a skeleton, with loads of filthy hair... holding this great long knife, must've been twelve inches... and he looked at me, and I looked at him, and then I yelled, and he scampered."

Scampered?

You couldn't help but fixate on that word. Why would Sirius run away? Was he so far gone that his actions just didn't make sense any more?

As the sun began to rise over the forbidden forest, the faculty accepted that Black had once again escaped. All the staff instead pulled their focus to better enchanting the castle, securing it in every way they could think of. You had returned to your studio, where the Fat Lady sat nervously in her portrait.

"I think it is time." You told her as you approached, dipping your largest brush into some Dammar varnish. "I think you're all finished."

The Fat Lady watched as you covered her painting with a heavy coat of varnish and then pull out your wand and point it towards her. "Magmarta." You spoke, as your wand emitted a hazy light.

The varnish sealed immediately. You closed the distance between you and The Fat Lady, smiling softly. Looking up into her painted face, you held up your hand demonstratively and tried to touch the canvas.

Your hand was repelled as if it was an opposing magnet. The harder you pushed against the barrier, the greater the force pushed your hand off to the side.

"See!" You stepped back triumphantly. "No one is going to harm you again."

The Fat Lady clapped her hands together in relief. "Thank you!" She sang, before looking past you with widening eyes. "Oh, Professor Dumbledore!"

You pivoted to see Albus Dumbledore standing at the open door. "Hello Headmaster!" You called, stepping aside to welcome him in. Dumbledore stepped in, nodding in thanks before looking at you with a weighty gaze.

"You must have expected that I would call in on you this morning."

"I did a bit, yes." You answered as The Fat Lady looked nervously between the two of you.

"Then you know why I am here?" Albus continued, glancing towards The Fat Lady. Her eyes widened in suspense. "Sir Cadogan has been fired from his post and we need our best at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower."

"B-but," The Lady Lady's bottom lip quivered. "But Black!"

Dumbledore lifted a hand to quiet The Fat Lady's protest. "I am confident that you will not be harmed." Albus assured, nodding to you as he continued. "With all of the precautions that have been set in place." Albus then turned to the door of your studio and called, "Argus?"

To your surprise, Argus Filch appeared the moment he was called. You wondered if he had been standing to the side of your door for the entire conversation.

"Yes!" Filch said as he stepped into your studio. Dumbledore moved aside as Argus made his way over to The Fat Lady. "Don't you worry!" He said, patting the side of the frame. "I've hired some trolls to guard you. Finest trolls in the business I've been told!"

You and Dumbledore watched as Filtch then picked up the portrait, and half dragged it out of your studio. You and The Fat Lady shared one last, unenthusiastic look between each other before she vanished from your sight.

"Well done." Albus murmured, folding his arms behind him as he strolled the length of the staff portraits you had started. He stopped at Snape's painting, eyeing it coyly. And then, as if remembering something important, Albus straightened and began to head for your door. "Remember," He called over his shoulder, "Certainty is often more dangerous than uncertainty."

And with a wink you were alone.

  
[ -X- ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv0M-5RUFQM)


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